All change on trams as Metrolink gets a new operator

November 10, 2006

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THE company which runs Greater Manchester's trams is to lose Metrolink after a decade in charge.

Serco took over in 1997, with a contract from Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority to run the system until 2014.

But a clause allowed the authority to put the operation out to tender in case of new developments - just as Serco and its partners won the contract to build and operate the new line to Salford Quays and Eccles.

The new operators will be either Stagecoach or Keolis - the French transport operator already in partnership with First on the TransPennine Express trains. The PTA's interim director general, David Leather, said: "We carried out a detailed evaluation of the bids and have now asked Keolis and Stagecoach to submit their best and final offers for the contract.

"We will appoint the new operator early next year and it will start running the Metrolink trams from spring 2007." It is believed staff jobs at Metrolink are safe, but senior management could change.

The move comes as a result of the successful bid to secure é100m to buy eight new trams and refurbish the lines between Bury, Altrincham and the city centre.

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Ian, Chorlton (10/11/2006 at 11:36)

Stagecoach? You having a laugh? They can't even run buses without a decent customer care ethic, degree of cleanliness, security and realistic fare prices.

Al Capone, Atherton (10/11/2006 at 11:51)

Isn't a Stagecoach a throwback to a time when travel was unpleasant, expensive, mucky and unsafe?
Oh.

Elaine, Manchester (10/11/2006 at 12:18)

Oh Not stagecoach surely. I suffered for years due to them, until I was finally forced to get a car, or lose my sanity. The trams are great, but youjust know that Stagecoach will mess it up, and cut out services in not so profitable areas. Leopards do not change their spots.

Rachel, Chorlton (10/11/2006 at 12:45)

Oh dear - Their prices and standards of buses are bad enough on the routes where they have competition. They've recently halved the cost of weekly tickets round here as another company has introduced some competetive services - indicates what their profit margins must be! Hate to think what they'd do with a monopoly like the trams. We can hardly get off and use a different company.

Anthony, Accrington,Lancashire (10/11/2006 at 13:03)

Stagecoach run the tram system in Sheffield and yes it's unreliable!

Paul, Cheshire (10/11/2006 at 14:33)

We've all heard the saying "If it aint broke dont fix it" I think this applies here. If Stagecoach do get their grubby hands on it, it wont be long before another reliable from of Public transport goes down the pan.

Ace Riley, manchester (10/11/2006 at 15:07)

Stagecoach needs a coat of looking at?
They seem to be monopolising the transport systems in britain surely the monopoly commission should investigate thyem? they want to take over by the looks of things ?take the transport system back into council run /ownership.

H, Sale (10/11/2006 at 15:34)

In response to Al Capone "...a throwback to a time when travel was unpleasant, expensive, mucky and unsafe?" - he wants to try getting on a tram in the morning rush hour - pay Â£5 for the privilege of having your nose stuck in someone's armpit for 30 minutes, while you're thrown about as the tram hurtles over the worn rails. I'd call that "unpleasant, expensive, mucky and unsafe"

Me, In the office (10/11/2006 at 17:35)

Isn't it amusing when people don't get irony?

Ezz, Horwich (10/11/2006 at 19:04)

I hope they fix the Bury escalator!
I haven't been for a while, it may be working now

Pamela, Crumpsall (10/11/2006 at 20:56)

We shouldn't have politicians in London telling us we should privatise local public transport. It should be up to local people. Stagecoach should not be allowed to run the Metro as then they'll not only give us a crap service, but we'll pay them millions to subsidise both their buses and the trams.

Take public transport back into public ownership and give us back our integrated, and fairly cheap transport system.

A Driver, queens road (11/11/2006 at 04:45)

anyone that thinks stagecoach taking over metrolink is a good idea needs to think again it will be worse than what it allready is
i urge people to look at the keolis website and make you're judgment on their past record personally i think we would be better with them as they have a proven track record

Anon, Manchester (11/11/2006 at 07:24)

In gods name what does GMPTE think they are doing. They may not like SERCO but how on earth do they think a bunch of cowboys like Stagecoach can run something like Metrolink. It just proves GMPTE are motivated by money and greed and have no interest in running a good public transport system. Thinking Stagecoach can run Metrolink is beyond belief, did they not lok what they have done at Sheffield apparently not.

Truth hurts, Ashton under Lyne (11/11/2006 at 08:31)

Paul
I suggest Metrolink is very broke.
Read the comments elsewhere here.
May I add that there is a general air of neglect/ amateurishness about the network which gives an extremely unfavourable first impression to anyone who has seen a European network.

The ticket machines/signs/etc look shabby poorly designed and positioned and look extremely outdated - East German 1980's style.

Anyone could do better!

Eamonn, Manchester (11/11/2006 at 13:34)

I don't care who runs the trams as long as there is enough space on them, they run often enough, there are more tram employees to help and tell me what is going on, and the price is fair. I am enjoying the intelligent debate. Well, the debate anyway.

Liz T, South Wales (11/11/2006 at 16:32)

When I visit Manchester I think how lucky people there are. In my town we know the bus drivers personally - there are that few of them. We don't have trams and we don't have an amazing city to live in. You have a fantastic bus service where people thank the bus driver at the end of their journey, buses are very frequent, not too full, and not too expensive. Some of you should try living in a small town in South Wales. Well done GMPTE - fancy taking over in Wales?

common sense, stuck on mossley street (11/11/2006 at 18:08)

truth hurts?
metrolink is a name, no more no less. it can not be broke! gmpte have not invested a penny in metrolink for a decade. they own it, and they take the revenue from it. the operator just gets a set fee per year to run it. if something breaks (like all the bury track) its up to gmpte to replace it. same goes for the ticket machines and the trams themselves.
there is already talk of stagecoach cutting the number of drivers if they get in, so be prepared for even longer waits on old, scruffy stations if they do. anyone who wants to know what stagecoach will be like, ask a bus driver and also stand on mossley st for a while.
you have been warned!
the only thing wrong with serco is that it is top heavy. there is a manager for each manager and each one is only semi-competant. as with most company's, the worst treated, worst paid and worst thought of people are the ones in the public eye. ie cleaners, maintenance men, inspectors and drivers
if/when the main operator goes in to run metrolink, it can only improve staff relations. if/when the same operator suceeds/fails, will all be up to the greedy gmpte!

A Parker, Manchester (11/11/2006 at 21:31)

Liz T, i take it you didn't travel with First group on the north side of Manchester. Expensive, regular price increases, over crowded buses (they replaced double decks with single decks) in one of the busiest cities outside London, so you always get 20 people stood in the door way blocking them and you end up with your face squashed against the windscreen. I'm not joking either!! The drivers seem to have lead boots when it comes to accelerator and brakes too. I wish First would loose the right to operate on the north side and somebody else get to have a go.

tram driver, queens road (12/11/2006 at 12:18)

believe me people we if you think stagecoach are bad try working for the current operators!, we are definatly glad they are on their way out, i personally hope keolis take over us, better trams better working conditions, and they'll treat the staff as humans not robots!, but should stagecoach run us i doubt very much they can be any more worse than serco!!, but as much as you and I make a views clear, at the end of the day the GMPTE are gonna go for the one who is the cheapest!! we know that, its all money!! So if stagecoach win the bid its merely because they are the cheapest option!. So just like you good people of manchester, us drivers and staff wait in wonder too!!, because we only know as much as you do!!

David Bird, Chorlton (13/11/2006 at 14:06)

I can understand why there are so many people whinging about the takeover of metrolink. Moaning is a British obsession but lets look at facts. If metrolink is to be a system that manchester can be proud of then here are some tips that may be useful to whichever group wins control of it.

A) lower the fares to compete with buses between Altrincham and Bury to Manchester.

B) intergrate bus routes that cross the metrolink lines to allow for maximum flexibility, e.g a bus route like the 84 can be modernised to include through ticketing amd a direct link to Whalley Range and Chorlton. The same case can be made for the 19 in Sale and the 409 in Northy Manchester.

C) get someone who'll put the passengers interests first and not shareholders. We need a tram that serves the needs of the local people.

D) invest in more new trams, Ideally spend money on refurbishing the existing fleet and buying more than eight new vehicles.

So who are best qualified to run Metrolink. Well Stagecoach may seem like a bunch of Extortionists but look at the way they've tranformed sheffield's tran network and intergrated their city bus network with it.

Keolis have transformed the old rail companies operated by Connex in the South East.
So next time anyone feels like moaning because metrolink is being taken over I would advise that you look at the merits of eact bid and the rack record of the companies who want to run it.

Just be thankful it isn't Firstgroup, Arriva or connex bidding for one of Manchester's proudest achievements.
I personally blame the lot who run the PTE, I mean it has never been good when you let a bunch of appointed civil servants / administators to run a business.

common sense, stuck on mossley street (13/11/2006 at 17:34)

yes, david bird, take a close look at what stagecoach have done to the sheffield tram system. hense why it is in total array and sheffield are desperatley seeking an out clause in their contract!
its not up to keolis, serco or stagecoach to sort an integrated transport system in manchester. it is up to gmpte to sort it out. the gmpte gets fatter as the public get less services. oh, and dont forget, the revenue from metrolink actually subsidises the inefficient and under used buses in manchester. on some routes the met is subsidising up to 2 pound per bus ticket. manchester has the infastructure to have a fantastic, integrated and fast transport system. instead the gmpte allow 27 different types of ticket on metrolink alone. only 3 of these are accepted on buses, even less on trains! gmpte are the wasters behind everything to do with transport in manchester. take a ride to bury and look at the guys in gmpte jackets stood drinking coffee in the interchange rather than working. and if you want a real laugh, go look at the cutting edge gmpte building on london road. the idiots have designed a shortcut for pedestrians direct from the rail station....straight across the metrolink tracks! my money is on the first death before the new year starts. corperate manslaughter anyone?

Peter Square, Manchester (13/11/2006 at 23:41)

Stagecoach your avin a laf, they are only good at blocking Mosely St with empty buses so the trams suffer major delays durring the peak periods, they are only interested in making as much money as they can for the shareholders just like serco, when will the PTE learn you cant run a public service with private operators and provide a good reliable service, it has'nt worked on the buses why will it work on the trams

A D Lee, Queens Road Tram Driver (15/11/2006 at 22:29)

It does not make a difference who takes over the contract as long as they provide the service with the following - (1) More trams at peak periods. (2) Every tram to have a conductor/saftey officer. (3) Prices to be competitve towards bus travel. (4) Stations to be done up to a decent standard. (5) More information and communication for the public. (6) Cleaner and brighter trams for the system. (7) Management to take responsability for their operating decisions. (8) GMPTE to support and conduct monthly reports for public to see how reliable the system is and where it can be improved. (9) If the ttrams are continually late offer season/monthly/weekly ticket holders part refund or a reduction on their next purchase. (10) Listen to what public want from the service.

Iain, Prestwich (16/11/2006 at 11:28)

It will be amazing if anyone can oversee a more dramatic dip in service quality than Serco has.

common sense, stuck on mossley street (22/11/2006 at 14:02)

seeing as most of the bad/sacked serco employees are currently employed at stagecoach, i wouldnt bet that it couldnt be worse if stagecoach get the contract!

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